Howdy!

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Let's read the Talmud together: By finding out about each others' faiths, Jews and non-Jews can build bridges to understanding.

What We're About — The Very Reverend the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth, Professor Jonathan Sacks, has made a brilliant suggestion that we most heartily applaud. Let us learn about each others' faiths.

We're ADL Compatible — Some people may feel that by inquiring about or commenting upon the Jewish religion, they may give offense to a widely persecuted group. At Come and Hear™, there are no grounds for those concerns.

The Roadmap

Let the Rabbis tell us about the Talmud. Why is this fundamental book of Judaism unknown to most Americans?

What is the Talmud? — Quoting Rabbi Michael L. Rodkinson, "The Talmud … is the written form of that which, in the time of Jesus, was called the Traditions of the Elders, and to which he makes frequent allusions."

More Critical Words of Talmud Study — Continuing with Critical Words, this section discusses Oral Law, Mishnah, When Was the Talmud Put in Writing, Haggadah, and Gemara, and includes some history of these terms. The sidebar carries a short pictorial of the history of Judaism. Appendix: Moses in Heaven

Israel's "One Indigenous Science" — Exegesis is the process of discovering the implications of Scripture. In the words of The Jewish Encyclopedia, "… exegesis in the largest sense of the word is in a way the one indigenous science which Israel has created and developed." Watch as the Sages work through one derivation of the Noahide Laws, this one from the story of the Garden of Eden.Appendix: Practical Kabbalah, "A Veritable Storehouse for Magicians …"

Is Talmud Law in Order or Disorder? — Rabbis disagree on the Talmud, showing that an honest difference of opinion concerning the Talmud is not necessarily a sign of anti-Semitism.

The Talmud Lives for Jews — The Talmud is more central to Jewish life than most know. "The Talmud is the world's oldest continuously practiced legal code." (Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein)Appendix: The Lanner Case

What About Gentiles? — Do Jews hold Gentiles in contempt? ADL denials are compared with Talmud doctrines, as seen through the writings of Judaic scholars.

Censoring the Talmud

Censorship damages inter-religious and inter-cultural understanding — no matter who does it.

Do Not Censor the Talmud, Please — The world's religions have been stepping on each other and burning each other's books for millennia. It is time for everyone to put their books on the table. Let's read them exactly as they are written. Appendix A: ADL Takes Talmud Quotes Out of ContextAppendix B: Rabbi Rodkinson's Censored Talmud

Jesus' Membrum in the Talmud — What did the Jewish priests think of Jesus? This information will supplement Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — a must-read for serious Christians.Appendix: Deborah Lipstadt Finds Anti-Semitism in the New Testament

Death Penalty

Talmud advocates tell the Supreme Court the Talmud has a better way. Let's check it out.

Sentence and Execution — Can the Talmud death penalty philosophy work in the US? A Supreme Court brief examines the question. Advocates say the ancient rabbis can teach us what we need to know.

Accusation and Trial — Due process, level of proof, formal and informal executions, death penalty for tribes, towns, and cities. — What crimes warrant the death penalty? What of the Quality of Mercy?

Abuse of Context — How retired Israeli Supreme Court Judge Rabbi Menachem Elon and American lawyer Nathan Lewin misled the US Supreme Court by quoting the Talmud out of context.

US v. Talmud Law — The Talmud does not intend Equal Justice Under Law and does not provide it. What then is the system? Here is a fascinating aspect of Jewish law. Appendix: Talmud Slavery Laws

Blood Ritual

Blood ritual is fundamental to Judaism. Some blood sanctifies, some defiles. Let's see what the Talmud doctrines are.

Holy Atrocities and Judaism — The spilling of human blood in the name of religion ("blood sacrifice") has been part of the fabric of Judaism from the beginning. "Multitudes are decapitated … R. Simeon said: The Holy One, blessed be He, declared, If ye execute judgment upon the seduced city, I will ascribe merit to you as though ye had sacrificed to me a whole offering." (Sanhedrin 111b).Appendix A: Mishnah of Sanhedrin 2aAppendix B: Mishnah of Sanhedrin 111b

See also: In His Own Image — The Talmud often cites precedents from the Old Testament. Following the research trail, we found that LORD God orders holocausts: ethnic cleansings and annihilation of cultures. He also orders the murder of family members, the slaughter of women and children, and the crippling of animals. In reading this anthology, we invite the reader to consider: Is Jehovah really the Father of Jesus? The Jefferson Bible provides points of comparison.

Animal Sacrifice and the Third Temple — He-goats of the new moon are slaughtered in the north, blood is ritually sprinkled and smeared on the altar. "On completing the flaying, he tore out the heart and squeezed out the blood in it …" The priests "were all standing in a row with the limbs in their hands." (Tamid 31a) What to expect on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem when Muslim shrines are removed to make way for the Third Temple. In the days of the Second Temple, the blood poured out in streams from the altar to the Brook of Kidron …Appendix: Mishnah of Tamid Chapter IV

See also: Was Jesus a Jew? — Jesus struck at the heart of the animal sacrifice system just before Passover, and in less than a week, He was crucified. The Temple incident was not His only attack on rabbinical and Mosaic Law. In a number of passages, Jesus shows clearly He does not support the church of his day.

Human Sacrifice, the Talmud, and the Moloch Problem — The old "blood libel" claimed that Jews sacrificed Christian children. The Talmud says nothing of this. But what of Jews sacrificing Jewish children? The Talmud says it's OK if done correctly. Dropping the child-sacrifice doctrine could improve Judaism's image.Appendix: Extract from Sanhedrin 64a and 64b

Circumcision, Talmud Style — After the mohel cuts the foreskin, he must put his mouth on the child's penis and suck blood from the wound. He must and he does, and the practice has spread deadly diseases. Ask your politicians to take a stand on this public health issue.

New America

The Talmud comes to America, and our country is changing. Some people may be happy with the changes, some unhappy. Let's go direct to the Talmud to see how its laws will affect our lives and culture.

America's New Government Church — Finally, a solution to doctrinal diversity. The rabbis have designed a one-size-fits-all religion for Gentiles: we bring you news of the Noahide Laws. Those who proclaim Jesus is their Savior will be put to death for idolatry. Congress has already begun putting the foundation in place. Appendix: Why Christianity Makes Jews Uncomfortable

Sex with Children by Talmud Rules — Using young children for sex (including homosexual sex) is not forbidden by the Talmud Sages - provided the child is young enough. If older, they may defile the adult. Meanwhile, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a well-known Orthodox Jew, speaks out against pederasty. Appendix: The Rights of the Child — Italian Case

Talmud Laws of Menstruation — A woman's menstruation is everybody's business: During her period, she defiles everyone and everything she touches. It is an offense for husband and wife to have intercourse during this time. Daughters of Israel insert testing rags into the vagina to confirm fitness for marital duty. Neighborhood Watch makes the system work.Appendix: Niddah 14a Excerpt

Jewish Harems in Talmud Law — Though a medieval synod discouraged polygamy because it upset Christians, some still do it in Israel. The Word of God in the Talmud provides laws for handling a harem. Up to 48 wives are permitted, perhaps.Appendix A: The Jewish Encyclopedia on PolygamyAppendix B: Polygamy and the Slave Hagar

Talmud Daughters Become Talmud Wives — Under Talmud law, the acquisition of a wife is much like the acquisition of any other property. Curiously, in 50 years of feminism, none of our Jewish feminists have made an issue of the sexual inequalities in the Talmud.

And So a Talmud Marriage Ends — The marriage belongs to the man. He may divorce his wife at will. To avoid paying a settlement, he can claim she has bad breath, moles, her breasts are too far apart, etc. The sidebar continues with the issues of modern feminism.

Life under the Rabbis — Special guest appearance by Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein, editor of the Soncino Talmud.

According to the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, the Very Reverend the late Dr. Joseph H. Hertz, the goal of Judaism is to regulate absolutely everything, public and private: "Religion in the Talmud attempts to penetrate the whole of human life with the sense of law and right. Nothing human is in its eyes mean or trivial; everything is regulated and sanctified by religion. Religious precept and duty accompany man from his earliest years to the grave and beyond it. They guide his desires and actions at every moment. Food and sleep, civic duty and family life — all are under discipline of the Torah, a discipline accepted freely and joyfully. While every religion attempts such regulation, the Talmudic system represents this striving of the religious idea in its perfection. 'In our eyes,' says Arsène Darmsteter, 'this is its greatest title to the respect and consideration of thinkers. In Judaism we have thus the completest, and consequently the most perfect, expression of the religious idea.'" — Rabbi Dr. Joseph H. Hertz, from his Foreword to the Soncino Talmud.

Law brings order, and order brings peace. Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein gives us a view of everyday life when the Talmud is the law of the land.